Fading Echos of a Past Long Since Lived
by Scarlet Firesong
Summary: Vaati Picori the wind mage lived thousands of years ago as a minish with a bad childhood up until age seven, when he met his only friend. When he gained the Wishing Cap and left for Hyrule, she was so saddened and unwilling to face a world where he was the monster he shouldn't be, she committed suicide. Until the Goddesses got a hold of her.
1. Chapter 1

Fading Echos of a Past Long Since Lived

It was a good day in Hyrule, the Hero had saved Princess Zelda from the evil wind mage Vaati Picou, and had brought him on trial for treason. Through the case, the mage hurled insults, attacked others, and had flipped off the judge multiple times. Causing havoc and chaos between opposing sides, he had been found, not surprisingly, very guilty of all charges. The Hyrule royalty had been quick to sentence him to a week in jail before being hung at dusk until dead on the rope. And so they thought that Hyrule would be at peace again as its primary threat was killed.

But the goddesses had a different plan for the wind mage. Deep in their realm, they worked against death itself, bringing a soul from the Realm of the Deceased back to the land of the living. The soul in question was that of a young minish girl who had been the first in many generations to kill herself. She was once the only friend to the minish boy Vaati, and had hung herself from a young sapling when she'd heard of his disappearance and rampage. Her name was Lina.

"Are you sure of this, Nayru?" asked Din for the last time. "We could let the chosen people do away with him, and never hear of a kidnapped princess by a great eye ever again!"

"Shush, Din," Farore scolded, "It is my hero he has pestered twice, but I still think him worthy of redemption." Din just scowled.

"Thank you Farore; no, the time is right. The soul is ready to be back on Earth once more. Sisters, lend me your power!" Nayru cried, taking their hands and making a circle around what was left of the young child. As they chanted, the light of the soul grew stronger and much more visible. Soon a vague shape emerged from the light, its earthen avatar. A small, winged wolf.

As the goddesses of Power, Wisdom, and Courage continued to give power to the little creature, it began to slip through the veil that stopped the dead from leaving the afterlife, instinctively moving to the spot of its death. With a final note, the goddesses dropped their arms and ended the spell. The spirit would awaken within the week.

~~~~VAATI'S POV:~~~~

'I can't believe it! I lost to three pre-pubescent boys who wielded magic swords! Again! HOW?! WHY?! Why do I even bother with these Hylians? WHY?! Right to a fair trial, my foot, they had it out for me from the beginning! All they can see is a monster. And their right. My old tormentors made that clearer than crystal. My old life.' I thought to myself, before I thought of one whom I hadn't for a thousand years, 'Except for Lina.'

~~~~~*Flashback*~~~~~

"Huff...puff...huh...need...to...run...ACK!" A young minish boy of seven was running much faster than he should have down a narrow forest path, not even looking until he slammed full-forced into a person in front of him, giving a trio of bullies time to catch him. The boy had purple hair, skin and clothes, and had blood-red eyes as well.

"ACK! Let go of me!" the boy squirmed and wriggled in the iron grasp of a much older boy of maybe twelve or thirteen. The boys next to him chuckled darkly.

"Well, look what we have here. A little monster who's chicken." the boy's cronies laughed cruelly as the first boy landed a hard right punch to the smaller boy's face, bruising his cheek badly. The bullies laughter increased.

"Hey! Stop that!" a new voice yelled out, catching the bullies off-guard. The purple-skinned boy looked up at his savior, and his heart fell. There was no way a girl could help him. She had long, blond hair that fell slightly over green-blue eyes framed by thick lashes, reddish-pink lips, and a lean, almost frail frame. She seemed to be the victim's age, only eight or nine years old. There was no chance of Vaati getting out of this mess. And the bullies knew that too. The lead burst out into cruel, mocking laughter.

"And who're you to stop me? You can't even hold up your fists to fight!" The girl's long ears drew back slightly as she replied.

"Name's Lina. I'm new around here. And what a good first impression I'm getting about you two. Now, let him go!"

"And you're going to make me? Sorry, I ain't gonna fight no girl." He began to shove Vaati away when a serious right hook caught him in the temple, felling him. His friends looked back to see Lina standing in a expert fighting stance, gently shaking one hand to loosen it back up. There was a murderous light in her eyes.

"No one, and I mean _nobody_ calls me a weak girl. Now fight me, cowards!" she shouted as loud as she could.

With an enraged yell, the first of the two-likely who possessed less brain power-charged forward to meet this little opponent who'd toppled his friend. Lina calmly stepped to one side, following up with a roundhouse kick that caught him in the back of the legs, slamming him painfully around onto his back. As he tried to get back up, he was intercepted by a hard uppercut that caught him in the jaw, making him see spot dancing in his vision. He fell to the forest floor, dazed and unwilling to get back up.

The second friend looked on in frightened curiosity, unwilling to step in and face the professional and practiced fighting style this little girl boasted. As soon as his friend fell, he knew he would be next. Lina noticed him trying to sneak away, and ran up to him, smacking him hard open-palmed in his back. Painfully, he fell on his face as a second strike caught him in the knees. His head hit an exposed pebble, and stars blocked his vision. Lina bent down.

"Leave him _ALONE_." she hissed venomously, leaving the two a-holes to carry their friend off someplace. She turned back to Vaati, who had been watching in awe and fear. As he realized she was looking at him, he nervously looked down at the ground.

"What's your name?" she asked gently. The boy looked up, and saw an expression he'd never had, nor expected to see, directed at him; concern and friendliness.

"V-Vaati. My name is Vaati Picori." Vaati mumbled nervously. The strange girl grinned widely, a grin that fit her well.

"Well, Vaati Picori, it's a pleasure to meet you." she smiled, extending her hand. Tentatively, like she would have coated it in noxious fluids, he shook her hand, never making eye contact.

"Ya have anyplace to go to? I was just off to a place I like. Want to join me?" Vaati looked up at the girl like she'd been an alien with green skin. She had not only been the only one in his life to help him, but she was now inviting his to be her friend? Well, not necessarily, but that was the hidden meaning behind her words, right? Not knowing what to do, he simply nodded.

"Great! This way!" she shouted, grabbing Vaati's hand and whisking him off to wherever she was taking him. Not five minutes later, they crashed through the underbrush and found themselves in a sheltered clearing, in the middle of which sat a small acorn that seemed to be destined to be a great tree someday, as it sat in a patch of sunlight. Lina sat down by the acorn in the su with a great _huff_ and patted the spot next to her, obviously inviting Vaati to sit next to her.

Gingerly, he sat. The two said nothing for a while until Lina broke the silence.

"There's a song that comes to me whenever I sit here. Its a folk song from a place far, far away from here, and it rallied a nation to free itself from a tyrannical dictator. Want to hear it?" she asked. Not knowing what to do again and wondering what could be so special about the song, Vaati just nodded.

"Just to let you know, its a fairly depressing song, and it talks obscurely about death. Okay, this is the song. Its called 'The Hanging Tree'." Vaati's eyebrow cocked a little at the name, but made no sound against it. Lina took a deep breath and began to sing slowly.

"Are you, Are you?

Comin' to the tree.

Where a man was strung up

they saw who murdered three.

Strange things did happen here

No stranger would it be;

if we met, at midnight

in the hanging tree"

The song really was depressing, but by how Lina was taking another breath in preparation, Vaati kept his mouth shut and his tongue on a leash.

"Are you, Are you?

Comin' to the tree

Where a dead man called out

they say who murdered three

Strange things did happen there

no stranger would it be

If we met, at midnight

in the hanging tree." she was slowly getting louder and faster.

"Are you. Are you?

Comin' to the tree.

Where I told you to run

so we would both be free

Strange things did happen here

no stranger would it be

If we met, at midnight

in the hanging tree." the last lyrics she sang the loudest and most beautifully.

"Are you, are you?

Comin' to the tree.

Wear a necklace of rope,

side by side with me

strange things did happen here

no stranger would it be.

If we met, at midnight

in the hanging tree." Vaati smiled as she began to sing the first verses again, joining in as a duet. When they had finished, Lina smiled.

"You have a great singing voice. How about, whenever I sing it, you meet me wherever I am, and when you sing it, I'll come to wherever you are. How's that?" Vaati, for one of the first times in his short life, smiled and said, "That sounds great."

~~~~YEARS LATER~~~~

"Ezlo? Have you seen Vaati anywhere? I called for him and he-the hat is moving." Lina said in shock at a bird-headed hat whipped around to the sound of her voice.

"Well of course I'm moving, I'm alive and breathing!" the green hat said indignantly.

"The heck? You can talk?" I asked in confusion.

"I'm Ezlo. Vaati stole the wishing cap I was making for the Hylians and wished to be the most powerful sorcerer alive!" He practically shrieked the last part.

"There's no way he would do that." I said, trying to hope against hope that it was a different boy, "Vaati doesn't have the right...-oh my goddesses he would." Tears filled my vision as I realized he'd said his motivation just yesterday. He'd said, 'I wish I were as strong as you, Lina.' Horror washed through me, he would do it, he can do it, HE DID DO IT! I sank to the floor, realizing what he'd done. There's no way he would stop at the most powerful sorcerer alive, he would want the...oh my goddesses.

"We've got to stop him!" I sprang to my feet, taking the protesting hat by the brim and stuffing it on my head, sprinting out the door.

"Which way did he go?" I practically yelled to the cap.

"To the Minish Door!" the cap squawked back.

"And where is that?"

"Head to the castle!" As I ran faster and faster, I began to notice more and more damage. Houses torn down roughly, people sprawled on the road, and dirt torn from the streets. All the signs of a tornado or hurricane. But that wasn't what happened.

"...no..." was all I could croak out between ragged breaths and chest-crushing horror. And in the path of destruction and terror, was Vaati. In the middle of his own personal cyclone. Headed to a door that hadn't been there a day prior. Before I could say anything at all, he stepped through, instantly vanishing. I slowed to a stop before the powerful door. Taking the irked hat from my head, I threw it in, much to its dismay.

Slowly, then gaining speed, I ran to the grove Vaati and I used to meet in. The little acorn had grown over the past five years, and it was now a young tree a hylian could climb in. Perfect for my need. Next to the tree was a bunch of tall grasses, and I pulled out a few, twisting them into a improvisation rope. I set to work on the knot, finally settling for a loose slip-knot that if tugged, would tighten.

With tears leaving hot trails down my face, I slowly began to climb the tree to the lowest branch, winding your rope tightly around the limb, and slipped the other end around my neck. I stood, bracing myself. And I fell, snapping my neck and dying instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

Despair. White, black, white, black. Sadness. Black, white. Monochrome. Regret.

Is this death? Is this the afterlife? Am I in purgatory? Am I in heaven? Hell? Have I simply faded? Am I going to be reborn?

I feel like I'm flying...no, like I'm swimming. Both? This is weird...Is there something around my neck? No...I can't feel my neck...nor anything else...I can't move...what's happening? I can see a light...real light...It's been so long, I think. Centuries? Seconds? How long have I been here? Was I always here?

Just who am I?

I want to follow that light. That pretty, alluring light. But there's something around my neck. Like a leash.

Ow! It's pulling me! The light's getting darker...NO! Stay! I missed light... I wanna go back! I hate this nothingness! I'll loose my mind if I stay! Please! Let me stay! Let me stay...

Stay...here. With me...I don't want it to go...

Fine. I'll go where the thing is tugging me. Where is it taking me? Can I turn around and see?...No...I still can't move...The old light is just a pin-prick now... I'll miss it...

I feel strange. I feel strange. I'm not flying anymore, just being tugged through water, without current or waves. This feels nice...like the sun, the real sun.

Heehee! I feel so giddy! I'm on a cloud! I'm one of the birds of the sky! I feel like a dog who can run forever! Free! Free!

Free...at last.

Ow! Something pinched me!

There it goes again!

OW! OW! OW OW OW OW OW OW OW! This hurts! OW! I think I'm being stretched to the breaking point! AAH! Golden Goddesses above, this stings! AOW!

It stopped...finally. And I still feel...warm. And safe. And...happy. Content, thats a better word. But I still feel strange. I think I'm supposed to have paws? Am I supposed to have fur? A tail?

The tail feels more right to me than the rest of it. There's still something on my neck.

Can I move now? ...Still no... actually, I feel pretty tired. A nap sounds good right now. With birds chirping...and the soft grass underneath me... and... the comforting embrace of this... tree's roots...this feels...like a good...place to *YAWN*...sleep...

({Vaati's:POV})

Shut up shut up shut up shut up. WHY WON'T THEY JUST SHUT UP ALREADY! I know I've been sentenced to hanging! Just do it already! I'm ready to die! Do it! _**(A/N JUST DO IT! MAKE. YOUR DREAMS. COME TRUE!)**_ Goddesses, it's like they think I've forgotten! I'm not that stupid!

Maybe they are and need to be reminded? Nah, they can't be that stupid. Here I am, with a rope around my neck, and a crowd at the bottom of the platform screaming for me to swing, and they still take their sweet time with this? I just hope that death by hanging doesn't take this long. Maybe I'll even see Lina again...

No. Don't do that to yourself. She certainly died long ago, probably happy to be without me to drag her down anymore. She was better than you. You will go to where Majora haunted, she will be with the Goddesses. Even if there was not heaven or hell, she would be better off. She would have died without any regrets.

"...You have been found guilty of treason and attempted takeover of our fair land of Hyrule, and as a traitor, Vaati the Wind Mage, you are to be hanged by the neck with rope until dead in the air. Does the convicted have any final words?" the judge dressed in saintly robes standing in front of me FINALLY finished, turning to me. I forced a smirk onto my face.

"Yeah, actually. Why don't you tell the princess that-" I let loose a string of curses bad enough to put the goddesses to shame and half of the audience's mothers rolling in their graves. The crowd burst into shocked babble.

"_**SILENCE!"**_ the judge boomed, quieting the amalgamated assembly. He turned back to me with a scowl. "That was uncalled for, and I will not tolerate this any further. Unless you want to be fed to a pack of Stalwolves, you will shut your mouth for the rest of the remaining minutes to sunset. AM I CLEAR?" he hissed. I gave him an irritated look. He was livid, and quickly turning a shade of red to match my eyes. I shrugged, and stared off into an undefined section of the forests that bordered the clearing we stood in. With an irritated grumble, the judge turned back to addressing the crowd.

That is, until a small rock the size of a hacky sack struck me in the arm, definitely leaving a bruise. I huffed in discomfort, shifting my feet, which were shackled. "Oh, lay off. I'm not dying any sooner!"

"Come on, who threw that?!" the man dressed in white and gold judge's attire muttered irritatedly, half to himself. The crowd looked down, each unwilling to rat out another.

"Who threw that stone, come on." the man said again, trying to find who could have thrown it. The crowd suddenly started pointing at one person in the front.

"I don't want to see that again. Stoning hasn't been an execution for centuries." the judge spoke directly to the culprit, who shuffled into the crowd to escape the man's watchful and...judgmental *snicker*...gaze. "Now, where were we?"

"Look, I don't think this is worthy of death. I'm just telling you to-" I swore some more to antagonize the pope/judge. The crowd erupted into outraged cries again.

"YOU'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE FOR YOURSELF!" the man yelled, pointing a finger at me. I scoffed, but my eyes began to burn a little.

"I'm making it worse? How could this be worse! I'm-" I cussed some more. The judge was absolutely ruby-red with fury.

"I'm warning you! If you say ""$&amp;* (#"" one more time-" he was cut off when one of the guards roughly tapped his shoulder. The judge took a deep breath.

Another stone hit me square in the eye. I hissed in pain this time as my eyes watered.

"RIGHT!" he shouted, "Who threw that?!" The crowd became silent once again, everyone looking at the ground. Another person stepped up. "Was it you?!" he screeched to the poor villager.

"Yes." he replied in a slightly squeaky voice.

"RIGHT-" the man started, only to be cut off by the villager again. "Well, he did call my mother a $(#&amp;*!"

The crowd screeched as one, and multiple hits were landed on the poor bloke before being stopped by the very pissed off judge. "STOP IT! STOP THAT!" I snickered in the silence, and I was rewarded with a blow to the stomach from a guard to my right.

"This Goddess-damned execution is supposed to happen at sunset! DO YOU HEAR ME?! Not a moment sooner, nor later! And no throwing rocks even if, and can I make this absolutely clear?! Even if the Wind Mage does say &amp;##*!" The crowd cried out in anger, and the stones began to fly. It didn't matter who it hit, just that it hit something, especially me or that judge. The guards only carried spears, so they couldn't stop the provoked, wrathful, and outraged crowd. The last thought I had before a large rock the size of a teddy bear struck me in the temple was, '_Maybe I took this too far'_

(follow for Monty Python-ness)

({Zelda's:POV})

I sighed, leaning into my bed. I couldn't stop thinking about what had transpired the day before this one. Vaati had been... less than expected when I found out who was the winged eye that had stolen me from the castle two days ago, but the surprise wasn't an unwelcome one. He had been snarky, ill-tempered, and even downright dangerous at times, but never towards me.

When he wasn't 'conversing' with me, there was a certain pain in his eyes that I couldn't see any other time. Unfortunately, I was unable to ask the cause of it, but it was there. Always in the back of his eyes and buried under rudeness and profanity. I still wondered what could have been the cause, but now it was too late. He would be dead for his crimes against the royal family by the time I went to sleep.

Then why do I feel so bad for him?

Maybe it was how he didn't have company, save for the minions that do his bidding. Maybe, maybe not. I probably shouldn't think about it. My mom was planning a party for tomorrow, but didn't tell me why. I'd lost track of the days when I had others to worry about it for me.

Shrieks from the courtyard drew my attention, and I hurried to my window, opening it in hopes of a peek of what would be transpiring. What I didn't expect was the voice of a clearly-ruffled Grand Judge (if I remember correctly, his name was Jordan Gampres) screaming something at Vaati, who screamed something back. From the reaction of the crowd and what he said while I was in his 'care', it was some really colorful language about the royal family, someone's mother, or an insult about a topic no one speaks of in decent company. Likely the latter.

I closed the window, snickering a little despite myself. Quickly, however, I schooled my thoughts. '_A queen-to-be doesn't snicker, nor think of curses.' _I thought to myself, mimicking what my mother would say when I misbehaved. I took a deep breath and sat on my bed again.

I was about to fall asleep when a raucous cry rose up from what was unmistakably the place Vaati was supposed to be hanged. I opened the window more quickly this time, and was horrified to see that _my subjects_ were throwing rocks at not only Vaati, but at the guards and Judge Gampres as well!

"Guards!" I shrieked, "We need backup in the courtyard! The people are attacking everyone!" As soon as the words left my mouth, many of the soldiers broke off from their patrols and rushed to aid their besieged comrades, handing them shields and batons.

Within minutes, the crowd had been quieted, and the wounded guards -and Jordan- were carted to the castle's infirmary. Only one figure remained, looking like a red and purple blob from my perspective. He seemed to be unconscious, lying in a pool of blood.

"Vaati." His name slipped through my lips before I could stop them. I also noticed a smaller, quadrupedal creature emerging from the forest, far too small to make out the details other than a grey coat with blue spots at the tail and...feathers? Long fur? What was it? The guards noticed it, too, and made a racket to try to scare it off. They got no reaction for their troubles, except for a momentary pause. It continued on its course straight to...the Wind Mage. It paused again, likely from the stench of blood. The guards wasted no more time pursuing it into the woods. I only had one thought.

"What was that thing?"

({Lina's:POV})

I woke up nestled in the roots of an oak tree that towered tall above me, its mighty leaf span blocking the sun's rays. It was calm and peaceful, the afternoon sun starting to get low in the sky, casting long shadows. But what woke me up was a really loud cry, likely from a group of creatures. _**I wonder what it could be?**_

I stood, wobbling, on all four paws, my long tail thrashing to help my balance. _**That can't be right, but oh well. It is what it is. But it does feel unnatural...**_

_**But what is normal for me? I can't remember...who am I? Where am I? WHAT am I?**_

_**...Lina. My name was Lina. It feels familiar, but strange. Old, but comforting, like a glove that no longer fits a hand. I think I need a new name. What do I look like? ...Hm...four paws, thick fur...long tail...Hm? Wings? There's a puddle over there, maybe I can use it like a mirror...**_

_**I'm a grey wolf with blue-tipped wings and a tail hidden under a bird's tail. Wow! I'm multi colored, carnivorous, and can fly! Wait... my wings look a little too soft for flight. Kinda like a baby bird's down feathers. Maybe pre-fledgling wings at most. Now that I think about it...I'm kinda small. And my teeth and gums look too healthy to have been used to eat yet. So I'm a baby winged wolf? Yeah...my fur does look kinda downy... Cute little crescent mark on my forehead, though. Pure blue-green eyes with slit pupils... that seems familiar again. I also seem to be sporting a simple twine-rope necklace woven with a sparkling fabric with a red jewel in the middle of three triangles on it. That looks fashionable.**_

_**Why am I here? Oh, yeah. A name. Um...**_

_**Blues? No. Crescent? Maybe...Blue Moon? That...sounds nice, actually. Blue Moon! I think I'll call myself that!...Even my name is adorable! Watch out world! Here comes **__**Blue Moon the winged wolf! **_

_**...Something's wrong. How had I woken up again? Oh, right. I woke up to the sound of voices. Maybe I can start there! Let's go! Running, run, running! I'm running over here! Run, run,run run, RUN! OOF! Ow...darn root. Darn rock. ANYWAY! I think the trees are thinning out. That's good. Stupid roots...trying to trip me up just as I start running around. Felt good, too, but, NOOOOOOOOO! Just had to give me the bruise.**_

_**NEVERMIND! I can see a crowd of bipedal creatures. My subconscious has classified them as 'Hylians'. Well, it's a start. Maybe I can get them to help me. Maybe get them on my side. Heh, come to the Moon side, we have adorable, amnesiac winged wolf puppies. GO TEAM BLUE MOON! I need to stop rambling...**_

They were shouting at a pair of other Hylians and shiny men, but I paid their words no mind. One of the pair was tall, dressed in eye-scorchingly clean white-and-gold robes while the other was shorter (almost diminutive compared to the man in white) and had a different color scheme going on. Purple hair, sickly purple skin, dark purple robes, and red trousers and sandals.

He seemed familiar, somehow, and something seemed missing from his attire. The Purple Guy was standing under a wooden thing, a thick rope dangling around his neck. He looked bored, staring at a spot not too far from me with ruby-red eyes. I got a serious sense of deja-vu looking at him. Maybe it was because his eyes were the same color as my jewel? Maybe I knew him from somewhere...

The man in white was saying something, when a small stone soared straight into Purple Guy's right eye. As his eyes watered slightly from the dust and pain, I felt a deep well of anger start to bubble to the surface of my being and I let out a cute growl as my hackles rose, my fur and feathers rising as I became angry at the one who threw the stone.

Throughout the entire scene, it became more and more clear that the Purple Guy (whom I had heard be referred to a 'Wind Mage Vaati') was goading the crowd on with extremely rude words I couldn't help but snicker harshly at, much to the White Man's obvious displeasure. The crowd began more openly throwing rocks, and it made me even more furious.

By the time more shiny men subdued the crowd, I was openly barking and growling and Vaati was lying in a small pool of his blood. Everyone else but him and some shiny men had left to 'heal the wounded', and I struggled to withhold my temper as I moved out of my hidy-hole, staying in the long shadows cast in the Twilight.

_**Did I know him? Who was Vaati to me, then? Why do I feel so strongly about his well-being? Maybe getting closer will help...What are those things doing? Arg, that's annoying. Oh just shut up, you sparkling pansies! Go ahead and make noise, I'm not some common, dumb wild animal. Arg.**_

_Oh, man that's a lot of blood. Is he okay? Why aren't the shiny people helping him when he looks so hurt? Hello? _I yipped to myself, before one of the shiny things threw a stick that struck me on the barrel of my chest, causing my wings to fly open unconsciously.

_**OW! FINE! I'm going, I can take a hint! No need to hit me. Yeesh. That kinda hurt, you know?**_ **I whimpered, trudging to the tree line, when I found I wasn't going to be going alone. A group of five or so of the shiny people followed me at a jog. I picked up my pace to try to shake them off. **_**AH! Stop following me! Go away! Go away, go away, go away, GO AWAY! Where's my safety tree? ...There! Almost…**_

_**GAH!**_ One of them threw a woven mass of rope which caught me against the ground, and held me there until another one picked me up by the scruff of my neck. I would have barely come to their knees if I were standing on my back legs.

"Isn't it adorable?" he (I recognized the masculine voice) said to his compatriots, who chuckled a bit.

_**Yeah, yeah. What's so funny? He just stated a compliment, you metal-skulled idiots.**_ I growled irritably, hackles up and feathers flared. They laughed harder at my attempt to be threatening, and I thrashed in the thing's grip. _**Let me go! Let me go! **_Their only reply was wrapping a rope around my muzzle and to tie my fore and hind legs together. I fluttered my downy wings in a futile attempt to escape, and they decided to wrap a length of a coarse cloth around my barrel, pinning my wings to my sides.

_**Of course they tie me up! Why wouldn't they? URG! At least my wing's aren't being rubbed raw...though this muzzle itches... So. Where to? Are we going back to the clearing? I don't wanna go back there. The trees are thinning...NO NO NO NONONO! I don't wanna go there! **_

I started thrashing as hard as I could despite my bonds, but their grip on my scruff was like iron. Fortunately, the red-stained platform that Vaati had been on wasn't their destination, nor was the bleeding figure present. They continued past it, moving to a large stone building.

_**Castle**_ my subconscious told me. So we were moving to the _castle_, then. It looked nice, really. Surrounded by a quaint little town and a shining moat, the castle itself had circular towers were capped with the same color blue as the tips of my wings, and the stone was just a shade lighter than my coat. _**That can't be a coincidence, though.**_ I thought to myself.

We entered the castle through a hidden side-door that was flanked by two more of the shiny people, these ones sporting a blue cloth tucked into their belts. The ones holding me captive spoke briefly in hushed tones with one of the new Shiners (It's kinda hard calling them 'the shiny creatures'. This nickname is an improvement), leaving one of their own as a replacement for the one that lead us through a simple hall that lead to a much grander one.

A clean red carpet covered the floor, and blue flags adorning the carefully-carved marble walls columns. In the back part of the room was a more circular part with a large velvet chair and an immense carving made up of multiple statues around three triangles surrounded by a bird-like outline. The same silhouetted bird and triangles appeared in the stained glass windows that cast a gentle glow on the large figure dressed in the crown and red robes of nobility. The Shiners set me on my side as they bowed.

"You, soldier, why are you here?" the big man boomed, authority practically radiating off his stature. The 'soldiers' didn't rise as they spoke of their "hunt".

_**I kinda liked my nickname for them. Oh well, if soldier is the correct term…**_ I thought to myself, lamenting the loss of a well-placed nickname.

"Show me the creature. Surely such a beast cannot exist outside of your imagination." the king huffed, clearly bothered by this 'waste' of his precious few seconds that they were taking. The soldier unceremoniously picked me up by the scruff of my neck (which was still a bit sore from carrying me like luggage, thank you very much) and presented me to the king who looked unimpressed.

"And the wings?" he drawled. The guard hastily removed the cloth and displayed my developing feathers. The king looked interested, but hid it well.

"And where did you say that you found it?"

_**Oh, so now I'm not only a 'creature' and a 'beast', I'm an 'it'?!**_ I growled from behind my muzzle, still failing to be anything but adorable. My wings fluttered uselessly at my sides, the guard not bothering to put the cloth back on when he saw how tiny and underdeveloped they looked. I simply hung as limp as deadweight on his grip. Cute, fluffy, feathered, grey and blue puppy deadweight. The king scratched his greying beard thoughtfully.

"I was wondering what I would give Zelda for her birthday tomorrow… This creature could be a pet or a decoration, depending on its nature." The king said to himself quietly, but I could easily hear him. Can't say the same about the guards. The one who had his grip on my neck put me down again.

"I'll take the wolf for a sum, if you wish. Such a find cannot go unrewarded." The soldiers visibly perked up at the prospect of getting 'rewarded' for their 'catch'.

_**You mean that forgetting a present for this 'Zelda' and then having a Deus Ex Machina moment with you practically buying me as a present. Yeah. Rewarded for everyone BUT the reward. Ah, irony. Or is that just confusing? **_

_**Why am I having this conversation with myself? I don't care. I need to ramble. ANYWAY! I'm either going to be a pet or a decoration. Decoration? Like, stuffed animal decoration or wild animal in a fancy cage decoration? Either way, I think I'll chose pet, thank you very much. At least I'll be treated with SOME dignity. Ramble, ramble, ramble.**_

"How does five thousand rupees each sound? It sounds reasonable to me." the king suggested when they didn't break the silence. The soldiers hid their grins respectfully well.

_**If there were six soldiers that caught me, and that's five k each, then the king is giving away **_**thirty thousand** _**rupees for my capture. Wow. At least he respects my 'royal' fluffiness.**_ I mused internally.

"Your graciousness is greatly appreciated, My King Erameran. We accept your offer with gratitude." the soldier said, nearly monotone in his attempt not to let greed sink into his words. I still heard it, though.

_**Note to self, avoid this man when not under the care of 'Zelda'. Who are they, anyway, to sell me as a pet? I'm fully sentient, you know!**_

The king clapped his hands together loudly, snapping me from thoughts that were becoming vicious. "Good to hear, men! My chief of finances will get you your money when you request it. In the meantime, HAROLD!" he boomed the last part so loudly that my ears hurt and I whimpered. A relatively thin man dressed in too-large robes scurried up to the king, chittering something to himself. I'm calling him Ratman from now on.

"Do you have some sort of cage? I need it to see if this wolf is vicious or tame." Ratman suddenly looked as nervous as a cornered...well...rat.

"I'm terribly sorry, your highness, but we don't have anything that would work with a wolf. But… we do have a good test… using _him_." the man scurried backwards a little bit as the king rose from his throne with a scowl.

"I was hoping that he was dead. How is he not?" the king asked gruffly.

_**Pronoun game. It's obviously the Wind Mage, no one seems to be happy with him. But why is this moment happening now**__?_ I asked myself rhetorically.

"I do not know, your majesty. But he is skilled in the magical arts, perhaps it has enhanced his body?" Ratman squeaked. The king looked old for a moment, pain flashing across his features. Then it was replaced by a grave look.

"Soldier, go to the dungeons and tell them who sent you and why. Tell them to put the wolf in cell number 24f for only half an hour. Report back." he spat out the order like it was vile broth on his tongue. More gently this time, the Shiner looped his arm under my chest and carried me without escort to a torch-lit stone hall that smelled of the dank and moist cells it undoubtedly housed.

"Halt! Who goes there!" one of two soldiers standing by an old wooden door barked.

"I am William Helmsguard, and I am here by request of the good King Euric himself. He wishes this young creature spend a half-hourglass cycle with the imprisoned in cell 24f." William said. The two visibly cringed, but took me from Mr. Helmsguard's arms and held me delicately, like I was as fragile as a thin sheet of glass.

We walked into the dimness of the depths of the prison. On the way he removed the muzzle and the ropes tying my legs together, and I gratefully stretched and yawned in his hold. Way at the end of the hall on the lowest floor was a seriously heavy door with a small slot, which he coaxed me through. The room was incredibly dark, with one weak little torch casting meager light onto an empty bed.

_**Huh. I thought that he would be in here, especially with how his wickedness was built up. **_**I thought to myself as I examined the room. **_**Might as well go ba-GOLDEN GODDESSES ABOVE! You sneaky jerk! Hiding behind my is not cool at all! **_

_**Ehhh… my poor racing heart...**_

He leaned in close, examining me from every angle. I could clearly see angry red and purple bruises all over his face, likely more under his robes. He was certainly much smaller than the Shiners (never gonna let that nickname go to waste), and I came up to his knees on all fours. He reached out with a hand, and I leaned into his touch.

"Huh. Not what I expected when I heard my guard's footsteps. You seem okay." his voice sounded young, maybe sixteen at the most. Deja-vu is back…

_**You're not really what I expected either. Everyone thinks you're evil. Then again, I think the king-man was a little biased… You seem like you could be a good friend! **_ I yipped. It just felt...right to answer him, and to my surprise, he spoke back.

"The king's biased because I have a… history of disliked behavior. I also kidnapped his daughter, Zelda. I have done some things that I regret…" he trailed off, picking me up and depositing me next to him on the bed, changing the subject. "A winged wolf? Never seen one before. Where'd you come from, little one?" So Zelda is the king's daughter? I felt a little lonely as he said that.

_**I dunno. I just… came to be. Before I was here, I only remember floating, like I was in a dream or something. Felt weird, too. I remember being really sad, though. Like I missed someone. Anyway, I woke up under a great big tree, watched you act like an idiot and get yourself knocked out, and then I got caught and sent here. And that's all my life so far! What about you? **_I asked, pouncing on a piece of his cape. He yanked it out from under me, sending me tumbling onto my back. He chuckled as I panted.

"That's for me to know, and you to never learn." was all he said, leaning back on the bed and staring at the door as if he expected it to open. We were silent for a while until I nudged him gently to get his attention again.

_**Then how can you speak with me? My lips aren't moving to form your words, even if I could make the sounds you need to speak. How are you understanding me?**_

"I can understand you because of my past and previous species. I'd say the same to you, young one, about understanding Hylian." was his completely unrelated reply. I sneezed and continued.

_**Okay, then. But not to be strange, but I think I know you from someplace. Do you recognize me?**_ I asked, sitting up in his lap. He looked down at me with a passive expression.

"No. I've never seen you before in my life. And I've met a lot of people." he spoke in a monotone, looking back up when he finished. I whined.

_**Really? Not a bit… Maybe the name Blue Moon is familiar? **_**He gave me a blank look. **_**Okay...not at all. Well, I did rename myself that. No one but me knew it. Anyway, I'm Blue Moon, nice to meet you, Vaati! **_ We were silent again for a while until I spoke up.

_**Vaati, why do people hate you? Why do they call you the wind mage?**_ He looked at me furiously, and I began to regret my words.

"This isn't an interrogation. My past is none of your business, Wolf! Keep your trap shut or I will shut it forcefully." he growled. I backed out of his lap and onto the bed again. I spoke again once I was a good distance away.

_**Am I your first friend?**_ He froze, multiple emotions playing across his face. I counted regret, anger, sadness, and even fear. Then all that was contorted in rage.

I leapt off the bed quickly as a razorwind spell tore up the mattress where I was sitting a millisecond earlier, turning around to a very furious Wind Mage.

"SHUT UP! SHUT! UP! I TOLD YOU THAT MY PAST WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! WHAT IN MAJORA'S CURSED NAME MADE YOU THINK OTHERWISE?! NO! YOU AREN'T MY FIRST FRIEND, OKAY?!" His breath came uneven and ragged, and tears began to drip from his eyes while I stood in place, paralyzed. "She was the only one who saw me as anything but a monster. A-and what d-do I do? Ha. Heheheheh. I steal a cap that grants wishes, but I wished to be a monster! J-just like wha-what everyone th-thought me to be.

I n-never saw her again, and I think I lost a p-piece of myself because of it. I nearly k-killed so many people. A-a-an-and n-now I'm here! Because of my choices, I'm going to d-die! I'm going to die, a-alone and un-unloved with everyone h-hating my guts. But I d-deserve it. I r-really d-deserve it." He curled into himself on the floor, crying softly. I snapped out of my stupor and cautiously crept up to his prone form, every hair on edge. I nudged him again, looking straight into his tear-stained face.

_**I'm here. And while I'm here, you're not alone. Do you hear me? Never. You have a friend here who is worried about your well-being. I don't want to see you cry… Please, don't wish death upon yourself… you don't deserve it.**_ I whined, pushing myself into his lap and licking his face dry. His face relaxed with surprise, then contorted again as tears fell more freely. He hugged me tightly, sobbing openly into my fur.

_**Shhh… it'll be alright. Don't cry… you're alright. Shhh….shh… **_I felt awkward and completely confused at how he could act so _freaking _bipolar. If I'd had hands, I'd be rubbing his back. Slowly but surely, the proud Wind Mage stopped sobbing.

_**There, see? You're safe. You're fine. I'm not gonna let harm come to you. Shh… shh…. **_ He didn't answer, his breathing becoming more slow and steady.

_**Vaati?**_ I hissed quietly. No answer. His grip was becoming loose enough to slip out of, and his eyes were closed. He was falling asleep, and I was his teddy bear.

_**Wow. How cliche is this? **_I groaned to myself as I settled into a more comfortable position in his lap. As he drifted off, so did I. One last thought crossed my mind before it shut off.

_**He was a friend, before I came here. Yes… I knew him as a good friend.**_

({Time:Skip})

I woke up to a shrill whistle that came from my 10 o'clock direction. Banging could also be heard as well. Something under me stirred, and I remembered what had happened possibly minutes ago. I nudged the sleeping Wind Mage mostly awake.

_**Vaati? Vaati, it's time for me to go, now.**_ I yipped quietly, standing him up on unsturdy legs, guiding him back to his real bed.

"L-Lina? Is that you?" he asked sleepily. My heart skipped a beat. That was my name.

_**Vaati, you need to get to bed. I need to go. C'mon, buddy.**_ I whined, nudging him into the uncomfortable-looking bed, drawing up the covers.

"Wind Mage! I'm warning you! Give back the wolf or there will be dire consequences!" Wow, I almost forgot about them.

"Lina..." Vaati murmured as he shifted in the bed, beginning to snore softly. He looks so peacefull…

"WIND MAGE!" the gruff voice came again, voice hurting my ears. How does Vaati sleep through that? I licked his face quickly and scurried out the flap on the door before it could open. There stood no less than seven soldiers, one of them sporting a decorated head and a bright sash around his waist. He hadn't noticed me yet, and I yipped for his attention.

"Cute thing, ain't he?" came the voice of one of the soldiers as he reached out to pet me. Wait… he just called me a male…

One set of barely nipped fingers later, I strutted back out of the dark dungeon to meet back with the king. If I'm going to be his daughter's pet, I'd better be treated like royalty, dammit.

"No leash?" the king asked, befuddled. I puffed out my chest a little bit and re-adjusted my wings to look more neat and appealing. I sat down gracefully on the carpeting, looking right into his eyes.

"He-" the guard started before cutting himself off, "She prefered to go without. I'm sure that she wouldn't run off even without one. Doesn't strike me as the flighty type, m'lord." His voice held the slightest twange of an accent that I couldn't place. The door suddenly burst open, and a young girl in a pink and white dress hurried to the king's side.

"Sorry, father. I wanted to talk to you sooner, but I got caught up in a conversation with Link. I- who's this little darling?" the last part was directed at me. The king sighed in defeat. I suppose I was supposed to be a surprise.

"Happy early birthday, my dearest girl." Oh! This is Zelda! She promptly squeed, scooping me up into a hug.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! I love her!" she went on like this for a while, hugging me like her favorite toy. I found myself happier in her presence, this little ray of sunshine. The king beamed.

"Guards, you are dismissed." he said loudly, and the soldiers departed respectfully. When they were gone, the king scooped his daughter into a hug.

_**Yay! Family huggles! I think I'm gonna like it here! **_

"Thank you, daddy." Zelda whispered into her father's arms. The king's smile became more bright.

"My darling daughter, who would I be to forget such a brilliant day that is going to happen? Happy birthday." They broke apart a few moments later, with me still in Zelda's arms. She bounced a bit on her toes.

"Good night, Daddy!" she raced back up the stairs before her father could answer. Her room was painted a nice mixture of pink, light blue, and white. The bed was large, the ceiling high enough to fly comfortably in, and the windows all could be opened. She deposited me gently on the bed and lay down on the other side.

"G'night!" she said happily. And just like that, she was out like a light.

_**How in the heck did she do that?**_


End file.
